Arithmetical top and dice game



Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTNER D.BRITTINGHAM, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'JTOy JOE-OLIVER NAYLOR, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ARITII-(ETICAL TOP ANI) DICE GAMEApplication filed May 2, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in games and has specialreference to an arithmetical game that can be played by means ofspecially marked dice and a special top'.

It is the object of this invention to produce an educational game thatwill afford amusement and entertainment for children and grown peopleand which at the same time will give the participants extensive practicein arithmetic.

The game apparatus, briefly described, consists in a piece of cardboardor other suitable material whose surface is artistically ornamented andon which is outlined a tortuous path. This path is bordered on one sideby a row of stones which are referred to as milestones. In the examplegiven, there are one hundred fifty-live stones. The first stone isnumbered 1 and the other eleven stones are numbered 2 to 12, inclusive.The remaining stones are numbered from O to 12, in groups, there beingeleven such groups besides the first group which contains only twelvestones. Each player is provided with a marker, which may be a checker ofa certain color, cach player having a. marker of a different color. Themoves are determined in the following manner. A cube of solid materialof a size and shape resembling a dice is provided with one arithmeticalsign on each side, instead of the ordinary spots. Each of the six sidesis marked with one of the arithmetical signs: l, or and therefore whenthe cube is rolled it will stop with one of these signs exposed on itsupper side. Instead of a solid cube, asquare or octagonal top can beused and the sides thereof be marked with the arithmetical signs. If theplayers have any preference, they may use either the dice or the top andit is also permissible to use two dice or two tops or a dice and a top;each player thereby obtaining the privilege of selecting for hisoperation the sign that will be most advantageous. This gives practicein quick mental arithmetic as the player must decide quickly which oneof the alternate operations he desires to adopt. Instead of dice or atop, it is also possible to determine the arithmetical operation by anyother suitable means of chance, such as by having a plurality of SerialNo. 359,972.

cards, each of which has one arithmetical sign and selecting one or twoat random. For the purpose of explanation it will be assumed that thearithmetical operations are determined by means of a four-sided top.

When the top is spun it will come to rest with one of its four. sides ontop and the arithmetical sign on this side will determine the operation.vWhen the play starts the first player places his marker on the stonenumbered 1 and spins the top. If the top stops with sign lon top, theplayer will move his marker 1+1 or two spaces because when the gamestarts, all of the markers are assumed to be located on stone 1 and therule is that the player scores the sum, difference,

product or quotient obtained by the arithmetical operation indicated inwhich the number on the nearest rivals space is used as the first numerin the example. The order of the numbers are, of course, of importanceonly in division and subtraction. If the sign had been instead of lthescore Would be 1-1=0 and the player would fail to score. After themarkers have all left the first space, the score may vary from minus 12to plus 144 and may also be a mixed number or a fraction. If the .scoreis a mixed number, the player moves the number of spaces represented bythe nearest whole number and if it is a fraction, the same is true.Thus, if the score is less than one-half, the player cannot move; if itis one-half or more, he moves one space. In a score represented by amixed number in which the fraction is one-half the player scores thenext higher number, thus 3+2=11/2, the player will then move two spaces.

After the first move has been made, the other player puts his marker onspace number 1 and chooses between rolling the dice and spinning thetop. Let us assume that the dice stops with the plus side up and thatthe first players marker is on space number 2, the move will then bedetermined by adding 2 to 1 which will give 3 as the sum. The secondplayer than moves his marker to space number 4. If a third player takespart, he proceeds as the other two, but his moves arey determined byusing the number of the space on which the marker of the player nearestto him rests as the first number in the problem by means of which hedetermines his moves. In this way any number of players can take part.If the operation indicated is subtraction and the subtrahend is largerthan the minuend the player must m'ove his marker rearwardly a number ofspaces equal to the difference between the numbers. The abovedescription gives a. fair ideaof the manner in which the game is playedand for the purpose of describing the same and the apparatus more indetail, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing in whichthe preferred embodiment of the apparat-us has beenV illustrated, and inwhich:

Fig. l is a` drawing showing the upper face of the board;

Fig'f2 is a perspective view of a dice employed in this game; Y

Figp a development of the surface of the'ldice andvv y Figi 4 is aperspective view of a top employed as a substitute for the dice.

In Fig. of the drawing I have shown a representation of the board onwhich the game isplayed; rIphe path is represented by letter I. Thispath is bordered on one side by a larger number of spaces S whichrepresent stones. The path is supposed to start at the cave C and to endat the smally house II. In thel drawing I have shown one hundredfiftyfive spaces or stones. VThe stone nearest the cav'e' isnumbered land each stone is nun bered' in succession from l to l2. The thirteenthstone from the beginning is numberedzero and stones 14 to 25 arenumbered l to 12; The remaining spaces or stones are numbered 0 to`l2.In the example shown there is one group numbered l to l2 and elevengroups numbered 0 to l2, but any other number of groups may be used. Itis evident that the groups may contain a larger or a smaller number ofspaces, but the number 12 has been chosen because the multiplicationtables do not usually go higher than l2.

The central square space Q may have the rules printed thereon and may beused for any other purpose. The ldice shown in perspective in Fig. 2 andshown developed in Fig. 3 differs fromthe ordinary dice in this, thatthe'side's are each provided with one of the arithmetical signs insteadof dots. The top sho'wn in Fig. 4 has the two invisible sides marle'dand and therefore when it comes to rest one of the signs will always bevisible on the upper or top side of the top.

Having described my invention what is claimed as new is:

l'. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single continuouscurved path outlined thereon, said path being divided into a pluralityof spaces, each of which is numbered, said numbers comprising aplurality of similar groups, two markers, each of which serves toidentify a numbered space, and means having areas provided with indiciarepresenting the four arithmetical signs for determining by chance thearithmetical operation to which the two numbers corresponding to thepositions of the markers must be subjected so as to determine the numberof spaces each player may move his marker.

2. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single continuouscurved path outlined thereon, said path being divided into a pluralityof spaces, each of which is numbered, said numbers recurring in aplurality of similar groups, two markers, each of which serves toidentify a numbered space, and means comprising a top having areasprovided with indicia representing the four arithmetical signs fordetermining by chance the arithmetical operation to which the twonumbers corresponding to the positions of the markers must be subjectedso as to determine the number of spaces each player mayv move hismarker.

3. An arithmetical game comprising, a chart having a single curved pathoutlined thereon, said path being divided into a plu'- rality of spaces,said spaces forming a plurality of groups, the spaces comprising thegroups being numbered, the same numbers being used for each group,markers for idenf' tifying some of the numbered spaces, and means fordetermining by chance the arithmetical operation to which any two of thenumbers identified are to be subjected for the purpose of determiningthe number ofv spaces one of the markers is to be moved.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.

VERTNER D. BRIT'IINGI-IAM.

